Soz said he made this plea during a meeting with the Prime Minister at his residence late last evening.

“I emphasised that the Hurriyat Conference is the forum with which dialogue process should be initiated as early as possible,” he told PTI here today.

The Congress leader said other parties representing different shades of opinion other than the separatists can join the process later.

“In recent times, the Hurriyat has remained united and that should be seen in Delhi as an advantage in the dialogue process rather than an impediment,” he said.

Soz, who claimed he was invited for the meeting by the Prime Minister, said he told Modi it was “getting late in Kashmir by the day”.

“There is a situation of great unrest on the ground — a situation of deep anger in the minds of people, especially youth with a deep sense of hopelessness,” he told the Prime Minister while urging him to respond to the “agonising situation”.

The former union minister said he also impressed upon the Prime Minister that national opposition parties led by Congress is expected to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Soz said he also highlighted the vilification of Kashmiris on most of the TV news channels, other national media and news agencies.

“Most of the TV channels and rest of the so called national media and news agencies are vilifying Kashmiris and describing them as jihadis and not characterising feelings as aspirations of the people.

“I requested him that he could play his role in stopping this nefarious game of pumping alienation in Kashmir,” he added.